DUBAI - Jeddah suffered further flooding on Monday as heavy rains saw streets once again submerged by water and traffic come to a standstill, local daily Arab News reported.
The rains come less than a week after the last downpours that flooded large parts of the Red Sea port city, which suffers from poor drainage infrastructure.
Thursday’s downpours left some districts up to waist-high in water and many affected areas were still immersed when it started raining on Monday, according to the newspaper.
The fresh rains and warnings of more to come this week sparked fears among residents that floodwater could begin encroaching into their homes, Arab News reported.
Residents in one district are threatening Jeddah municipality with legal action over the flooding, alleging authorities did not have adequate prevention measures in place, according to the newspaper.
“This is the second time our area is inundated because of rainfalls,” resident Ismail Qashgari was quoted as saying.
“The municipality has got budget allocations to prevent flash floods. We’ll ask for compensation for material damages caused by floods.”
Authorities have struggled to clear the rainwater following Thursday’s downpours and health experts have warned large puddles of stagnant water could turn into a breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects.
The flooding has not claimed any casualties in Jeddah, but a man and three children died on in the Mecca region on Thursday, according to authorities.
Torrential rains in November 2009 caused severe flooding in Jeddah that killed at least 123 people and devastated parts of the city.
Thousands of families were left homeless and more than 10,785 buildings were wrecked and 10,850 vehicles destroyed, according to official figures.
The floods sparked outrage among residents, many of whom blamed inadequate infrastructure for escalating the disaster.
King Abdullah ordered an inquiry into the disaster and police questioned dozens of people, including government officials, contractors and engineers.
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